APPLY YOURSELF TO THE FIELD MINISTRY — Week of October 5-11, 2026

STARTING A CONVERSATION

Duration: 2 minutes
Setting: House to house
Lesson: Naturalness: Be observant
Scripture: Psalm 37:29

Situation: A man is tending the plants in his garden. The publisher uses what he observes to start a natural conversation.

Publisher: Good afternoon. You keep your garden very well. Those flowers are beautiful.

Person: Thank you. They take quite a bit of work, but I enjoy looking after them.

Publisher: You can tell you spend time on them. Have you been taking care of the garden for many years?

Person: Since I retired. I hardly had any time before, but now it helps me keep busy.

Publisher: I understand. Being surrounded by nature is very peaceful.

Person: Yes, although keeping it this way isn’t easy. It gets hotter every year, and there is less water.

Publisher: That’s true. Many people wonder what will happen to the earth if it keeps deteriorating. Do you think we will ever be able to live without worrying about that?

Person: I’d like to think so, but I’m not very optimistic. It seems that we’re ruining everything.

Publisher: I can understand why you feel that way. The Bible acknowledges the problems, but it also describes a different future. Notice what Psalm 37:29 says: “The righteous will possess the earth, and they will live forever on it.”

Person: So according to the Bible, people will continue living on the earth?

Publisher: Exactly. God did not create the earth to abandon it or allow it to be destroyed. He promises to make it a safe, permanent home.

Person: It sounds good, but it’s hard to imagine when you see what the world is like.

Publisher: You’re right. One verse alone doesn’t explain how that will happen. The Bible shows what God will do to repair the damage and what life will be like then. If you’d like, another day I could briefly show you one of those promises.

Person: You can stop by. I can’t promise I’ll agree, but we can talk.

Publisher: Of course. What matters is that you can see for yourself what the Bible says. Are you usually home in the afternoons?

Person: I’m normally working in the garden after five.

Publisher: Perfect. I’ll come by at that time next week. Thank you for showing me your plants.

STARTING A CONVERSATION

Duration: 2 minutes
Setting: Informal witnessing, at a copy shop
Lesson: Naturalness: Be adaptable
Scripture: Psalm 34:18

Situation: While waiting to make some photocopies, the publisher notices that a woman is having trouble printing several résumés.

Person: You’ve got to be kidding me… The printer had to break down today of all days.

Publisher: It looks like it’s frozen. If you want, I can get the attendant; I saw him go into the office next door.

Person: Thank you. I have an interview in half an hour, and I need to print these résumés.

Publisher: Sure, I’ll get him now. It must be stressful for this to happen right before an interview.

Person: Very. I’ve been looking for work for months, and this is the first company that has called me.

Publisher: Then I can understand why this interview is so important to you.

Person: Yes. I try to stay positive, but after so many rejections, it’s difficult.

Publisher: It’s understandable to feel that way. I don’t know you, but looking for work for months must be exhausting.

Person: People tell you not to give up, but they’re not the ones getting the rejection emails.

Publisher: You’re right. Sometimes encouraging phrases don’t help because they don’t reflect what we’re actually going through. There’s a Bible verse that doesn’t minimize those feelings. Psalm 34:18 says: “Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Person: I’m not very religious, but I like that it acknowledges that someone can feel crushed.

Publisher: Exactly. It doesn’t say that feeling discouraged is a lack of faith or strength. It shows that God understands someone who is going through a situation like that.

Person: That really is comforting.

Publisher: On jw.org there is Bible-based advice on how to cope with discouragement. If you want, I can show you where to find it while we wait.

Person: Yes, but first I have to sort out this printer problem.

Publisher: Of course. I’ll go find the attendant, and afterward, if there’s time, I’ll show you the page.

STARTING A CONVERSATION

Duration: 4 minutes
Setting: Public witnessing
Lesson: Tact: Choose your words carefully
Scripture: John 13:35

Situation: A man stops in front of the literature cart and looks at a publication entitled Will Suffering Ever End? The publisher lets him look at it before starting the conversation.

Publisher: That title makes you think, doesn’t it?

Person: Yes. Although I suppose your answer is that God will put an end to suffering.

Publisher: That’s right. The Bible promises that suffering will not last forever. Do you find that hard to believe?

Person: Very. Religions have been making promises for centuries, but many of them have also caused suffering.

Publisher: It’s true that atrocities have been committed in the name of religion. I understand why that makes many people distrustful.

Person: I don’t just distrust them. I think the world would be better off without religions.

Publisher: I understand why you’ve reached that conclusion. If a religion promotes violence, covers up abuse, or exploits people financially, it is causing harm instead of helping.

Person: Exactly. And every one of them claims to have the truth.

Publisher: That’s a reasonable observation. So we shouldn’t accept a religion just because it uses the Bible or talks about God. We need to examine its teachings and its results.

Person: But they all find some scripture to justify what they do.

Publisher: It’s true that a verse can be taken out of context. That’s why I think it’s important to look at a very clear sign Jesus gave for identifying his true disciples.

Person: What sign?

Publisher: It’s found at John 13:35. Jesus said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves.” According to those words, what should characterize true Christians?

Person: Love. But all religions say they love people.

Publisher: True. Just saying it wouldn’t be enough. That love would have to be shown in the way they treat others, regardless of nationality, race, or economic situation. It would also have to keep them from taking part in wars against people of the same faith.

Person: That would rule out quite a few religions.

Publisher: At least it would give us a standard for examining them. I wouldn’t ask you to trust a religion without checking its teachings and conduct.

Person: And do you think you meet that standard perfectly?

Publisher: We don’t claim to be perfect people. We make mistakes too, and there are things we have to correct. The question is whether a religion teaches and helps its members to follow Jesus’ example.

Person: Even so, I find it hard to believe in God. If he exists and loves us, why does he allow so much suffering?

Publisher: That’s a very important question. In fact, it goes deeper than the issue of religion. This publication discusses why God temporarily allows suffering and what he will do to eliminate it.

Person: Do I have to pay for it?

Publisher: No, all these publications are free. You can take one if you’d like to read it at your own pace.

Person: I’ll take it, but that doesn’t mean I’ll accept your explanation.

Publisher: Of course. The reasonable thing is to examine the arguments and draw your own conclusions. If you come by again and there’s something you don’t agree with, we can discuss it.

Person: That seems fair to me. Thank you.

Publisher: Thank you for honestly telling me what you think.

EXPLAINING YOUR BELIEFS

Duration: 3 minutes
Format: One-person talk
Theme: Who Is Jehovah?
Lesson: Speak simply
Scriptures: Isaiah 42:8 and 1 John 4:8

Many people believe in God, but they don’t know his name or what he is like. Some view him as a mysterious force, and others think he is very far away from us. However, the Bible helps us get to know him as a real person. So, who is Jehovah?

First of all, Jehovah is God’s personal name. Let’s read what he himself says at Isaiah 42:8: “I am Jehovah. That is my name.” Words such as “God,” “Lord,” or “Creator” are titles. For example, a person may be a father, a teacher, or a doctor, but he also has a name. Similarly, God has many titles, but his name is Jehovah.

This name appears thousands of times in ancient Bible manuscripts. It was written with four Hebrew letters corresponding to the consonants YHWH. Although its original pronunciation is not known for certain, the form “Jehovah” has been used for centuries in English. What really matters is not pronouncing it exactly as it was in ancient times, but knowing it and giving it the place it deserves.

But knowing someone’s name does not mean that we know that person well. We also need to know what he is like. The Bible explains that Jehovah is the true God and the Creator of all things. He is not the God of just one people or one particular culture. He is the God of the whole earth.

Jehovah also wants us to know his personality. One of his most outstanding qualities is mentioned at 1 John 4:8, where we read: “God is love.” This does not simply mean that Jehovah shows love from time to time. Love is part of everything he does. His counsel, his standards, and his promises reflect the affection he has for people.

It is also important to distinguish between Jehovah and Jesus. Jesus never claimed to be Jehovah. In fact, he worshipped his Father and referred to him as “my God.” Jesus came to the earth to teach us the truth about his Father and help us draw close to Him.

So Jehovah is not an unknown force or a distant God. He is the Creator, he has a personal name, and he cares about us. Getting to know him involves learning how he thinks, observing his love, and applying his counsel. The more we learn about Jehovah through the Bible, the more reasons we find to trust him and want to be his friends.