Apply Yourself to the Field Ministry for the Week of December 14-20, 2026

Starting Conversations

Householder: Excuse me, do you know if there’s another water fountain around here? The one by the bicycles isn’t working, and my bottle is empty.

Publisher: There’s one by the park entrance, at the end of the path. Although I don’t know whether that one is working either.

Householder: Well, I’ll try there. Say, when I saw the books… are you Jehovah’s Witnesses? I’ve always wondered why you set up in places like this.

Publisher: Yes, we’re Jehovah’s Witnesses. We’re here to talk about the Bible with anyone who is interested. You can also look at the publications without taking anything.

Householder: I’m not interested, I’ll tell you that plainly. What I don’t understand is that every religion says it’s right. Then they all talk about peace, but end up arguing.

Publisher: Talking about peace and then treating someone who thinks differently badly would be contradictory. I don’t want our conversation to end that way. Does it especially bother you when people try to convince you without listening to you?

Householder: Exactly. That happens a lot in my family. Someone starts talking about religion and ends up giving a sermon. If you disagree, it seems that you’re a bad person.

Publisher: It must be uncomfortable not being able to express your opinion without feeling judged. You’ve told me that you’re not interested, and I respect that. You don’t have to think the way I do for me to treat you kindly.

Householder: That sounds good, but you also believe that I’m wrong. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here trying to get people to change their religion.

Publisher: I do have my convictions. But having convictions doesn’t give me the right to pressure you. There’s a Bible principle that reminds me how I should treat others. May I read it to you? It’s brief.

Householder: Well, if it’s brief, read it. But don’t tell me afterward that it proves you’re right.

Publisher: I’m not going to use it for that. I’m referring to the way I respond to you, not to winning an argument. Notice this counsel at Titus 3:2.

Publisher: Titus 3:2 — to speak injuriously of no one, not to be quarrelsome, but to be reasonable, displaying all mildness toward all men. That also applies when someone doesn’t share my beliefs. If I read these words to you and then kept insisting until you agreed with me, I wouldn’t be putting the counsel into practice.

Householder: Well, that’s the problem: Reading it is easy. My family knows the Bible too, and when we argue, nobody wants to give in.

Publisher: You’re right; reading it isn’t enough. In a conversation I can explain what I believe and listen, but I also have to accept that the other person may not want to continue. I don’t need to have the last word.

Householder: Well, I could tell you a few things about your religion. Let’s see if you stay so calm then. Because I have lots of difficult questions.

Publisher: Questions don’t bother me. But I don’t want this to become a confrontation. I’d rather leave it here. If you would like to talk calmly another day, we can do that.

Householder: I don’t think I’ll be back. I’m going to look for the fountain.

Householder: But saying that we should leave it here is a way of avoiding my questions, isn’t it? Anyone can stay calm that way. As soon as the conversation gets difficult, it ends.

Publisher: I understand why it might seem that way. A difficult question deserves a well-thought-out answer, not a reply just to get out of the situation. And if I don’t know the answer, the honest thing is to admit it. What I want to avoid is our ending up attacking each other instead of listening to each other.

Householder: So how could I ask you something without your taking it as an attack? Because I’m not going to agree with you beforehand.

Publisher: You don’t have to. For example, you could tell me which belief you find difficult to understand and why. That would help us focus on your question. But we don’t have to do it now.

Publisher: All right. Have a good day.

Following Up

Publisher: Hello, Marta. We agreed that I would come by Saturday morning. Is now a good time? I remembered what you told me about how difficult it had been for you to organize things at home since your work schedule changed.

Householder: Yes, I have a few minutes. The schedule is still the same, but what weighs on me most is coming home and finding everything waiting to be done. Yesterday we argued again about dinner. It may seem trivial, but it always ends up being the same.

Publisher: From what you told me, it isn’t just preparing dinner, but feeling that you have to keep track of everything. Is that what bothers you most, or did I misunderstand you?

Householder: That’s it. My husband tells me to ask for help, but I think, “Why do I have to organize everything? He lives here too.” And I don’t want to spend the time we have together giving instructions.

Publisher: Of course, asking for help every time isn’t the same as sharing responsibility. I thought of bringing you a magazine about family life because of our previous conversation. But I wouldn’t want to offer you something without hearing how things are going.

Householder: I can look at it. Although, if the advice is that I need to be more patient, let me tell you, I’ve been patient. It doesn’t seem fair that I should be the one to keep quiet in order for us to get along.

Publisher: I wouldn’t want to give you that impression. Your tiredness matters too. In fact, there’s a Bible principle that isn’t directed only to the person who is doing more; each one can apply it personally.

Householder: And what principle is that? Sometimes it seems that thinking about others means always putting your own needs off. That can’t work for very long either.

Publisher: I understand the distinction you’re making. Notice how Philippians 2:4 takes into account both our own interests and those of others. I’ll read it to you; it’s a very brief sentence.

Publisher: Philippians 2:4 — as you look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others. It isn’t saying that your needs don’t matter. Applied to what you’re telling me, each one would need to take into consideration the other’s tiredness and responsibilities. It wouldn’t be an obligation that belonged only to you.

Householder: Put that way, I agree. But I can’t make him apply it. Besides, he comes home tired too; I’m not saying he spends the whole day doing nothing.

Publisher: And you’re taking that into account. It’s true that you can’t decide for him. Perhaps you could talk about one specific situation at a calmer time instead of trying to solve everything when you’re already exhausted.

Householder: We talked about it yesterday just when I opened the refrigerator and saw that nothing had been prepared. He had just come in. I admit that we started badly, but dinner still had to be made.

Publisher: Yes, choosing another time doesn’t by itself solve the problem of dinner. But it could allow you to agree beforehand on who will take care of it. For example, you could decide how to organize things on evenings when you get home later, without having to negotiate it every day.

Householder: That would be more useful than telling him that he never helps me. Because it isn’t true that he never does anything. What I need is to know that there are things I don’t have to take care of myself.

Publisher: Then that would be a specific need you could explain to him. We don’t know all the details of what each family experiences, and advice doesn’t fix everything immediately. Would you like to keep the magazine about the subject we discussed?

Householder: Yes, leave it with me. I’ll read it first. I don’t want to greet him tonight with a magazine in my hand, as if I had brought it to prove that I’m right.

Publisher: Of course, take your time reading it. If I come by another Saturday, we can discuss what you found useful or any idea you disagree with. Is this time usually convenient for you?

Householder: Yes, this time is better. During the week I’m in too much of a hurry. We can talk another Saturday, although I can’t promise I’ll have read the whole thing.

Publisher: We can start with whatever concerns you most. For example, do you think agreeing on how to divide up dinner would be enough, or is there another difficulty you would still need to take into account?

Householder: Sometimes either one of us is delayed. I’m concerned that we might divide things up and then, when one of us can’t keep the arrangement, we’ll end up arguing about whose turn it was.

Publisher: Then you could also plan for those unexpected situations. For example, you could agree that whoever is delayed will let the other know and that on those evenings you will prepare something simpler. That way, the agreement would serve to help you, not to look for someone to blame. Taking the other person into account can also mean adapting together what you had planned.

Householder: That seems more realistic to me than expecting everything to go perfectly. I’ll read as much of the magazine as I can and tell you what I thought another Saturday.

Publisher: All right, there’s no need to decide how much you have to read. When we see each other, you can tell me whether you had a chance to look at it. I’ll let you get on with your morning, Marta.

What Would You Say?

This assignment, “What Would You Say?,” is a five-minute audience discussion about the house-to-house ministry. We review Enjoy Life Forever, lesson 1, “Sincere Interest,” point 4b. The situation is a first contact, and we will relate respectful observation of the surroundings to the example at Acts 17:22, 23.

The lesson point invites us to ask ourselves: “What do their clothing, appearance, and home tell me about their beliefs or culture?” Observation can help us choose our opening words. But a clue is not a certainty, and it does not replace what the person himself tells us.

Let us look at the picture. We see a modern house with a beautiful, very well-kept garden. There is a stone path, flowers, ornamental rocks, and abundant vegetation. A red-leafed maple stands out. No people appear, so we cannot observe their clothing, appearance, or what they are doing.

The garden gives us an everyday subject with which to begin. However, the picture does not tell us who cares for it, how long it has been there, or what it means to the person who lives in the house. Nor does it allow us to state what that person’s beliefs, culture, or economic situation are.

The first question is: “Based on what we see in the picture, what could you say to start a conversation?” One possibility would be to greet the person and comment: “Good morning. I noticed the red-leafed tree; it contrasts quite a bit with the rest of the garden. Do you enjoy gardening?”

This suggestion starts with something visible and asks a simple, nonpersonal question. It does not assume that the resident is the one who maintains the garden. Nor does it assume that he likes plants. It allows him to tell us whether the subject interests him, and we can decide how to continue after listening to him.

If he says that he enjoys caring for it, we could ask what he likes most about that activity. There would be no need to string together questions about all the plants. It would be enough to listen to his answer and respond to it. Sincere interest is shown by paying attention to what he says, not merely by choosing a good opening line.

He might also explain that someone else cares for the garden or that he hardly pays attention to it. In that case, we would accept the clarification without insisting. We could thank him for explaining it and briefly state the reason for our visit, if he has time. We do not need to defend the opening we had prepared.

Why would this be a natural way to begin? Because commenting on a beautiful detail in the surroundings can open an everyday conversation. Why would it be respectful? Because it does not attribute feelings or beliefs to a stranger. And why would it be adaptable? Because the person’s response, not our initial impression, determines the next step.

The second question is: “What scripture would you show?” One option is Acts 17:22, 23, the passage suggested for this assignment. It helps us see how Paul observed his surroundings and used something specific to present his message. As we read it, let us notice what he had observed and how he used it to begin speaking.

Acts 17:22-23 — Paul now stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens, I see that in all things you seem to be more given to the fear of the deities than others are. For instance, while passing along and carefully observing your objects of veneration, I found even an altar on which had been inscribed ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you are unknowingly worshipping, this I am declaring to you.

Paul had observed sacred objects and an altar with a specific inscription. Thus, he could refer to an element related to the worship of his listeners. In our picture, however, we see a garden. It would not be correct to attribute to it a religious meaning that does not appear in the picture.

What we can imitate is his attentiveness to his surroundings and his way of finding a starting point for talking about God. It is not a matter of repeating his opening words at every door. It is a matter of observing carefully and choosing an opening that makes sense to the person in front of us.

How could we offer this passage to the resident? If the conversation allows us to explain that we share a Bible message, we could say: “The Bible contains an example of someone who paid attention to what was in a place before speaking with its inhabitants. Would you like to see it?” Then we would wait for his response.

That invitation explains why we are suggesting the reading and allows the person to decide. If he accepts, we could show him the passage and point out that Paul used something his listeners knew in order to begin talking to them about God. We would not present these verses as a passage about gardens, because they are not.

If the person does not want to read the Bible, we would respect his decision. And if he tells us that he is in a hurry, we would not try to complete the imagined conversation at all costs. An accurate observation does not guarantee a long conversation. Showing sincere interest also includes recognizing when it is best to end kindly.

So we have a specific opening: mention the contrast of the red-leafed tree and ask whether he enjoys gardening. And we have a scripture: Acts 17:22, 23, which shows how Paul used a real observation to introduce his message. The connection requires tact; it is not automatic.

The lesson is not about learning to deduce someone’s life by looking at his house. It is about paying attention so that we can approach people with sincere interest. We observe what is really there, ask without making assumptions, and let the person reveal himself. In this way, our words can be natural, respectful, and adapted to him.