Apply Yourself to the Field Ministry for the Week of December 28, 2026–January 3, 2027

Starting a Conversation

Publisher: Good morning! Wait, that orange is heading toward the stairs. Would you like me to pick up the others while you put down the bags?

Householder: Yes, please. Leave them by the door. I knew this bag wouldn't hold, but I didn't want to go upstairs twice…

Publisher: Here they are. Do you have another bag nearby, or would you like me to wait while you get something?

Householder: I'll put them in this box. Thanks. Were you looking for someone?

Publisher: I wanted to have a brief conversation with you. I'm one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but if you need to put away your groceries, I can come by another time.

Householder: I don't have anything that needs refrigeration. I have a moment. Though I should warn you, I don't know much about religion, and I don't usually talk about it.

Publisher: You don't need to know much to have a conversation. I like seeing how what Jesus taught can help us with everyday things, such as paying attention to someone who needs a hand.

Householder: That sounds good to me. But there are also people who don't believe in God and help others a lot. My neighbor, for example, is always available.

Publisher: Of course, you don't have to be religious to do something good. What counts is real help. In fact, Jesus told a story that highlighted a man's compassion for an injured stranger. May I read how it ends?

Householder: Yes, if it isn't too long.

Publisher: It's just a few verses. Notice what that man did and the question Jesus asked afterward. It's at Luke 10:33-37.

Publisher: Luke 10:33-37 — But a certain Samaritan traveling the road came upon him, and at seeing him, he was moved with pity. So he approached him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he mounted him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said: ‘Take care of him, and whatever you spend besides this, I will repay you when I return.’ Who of these three seems to you to have made himself neighbor to the man who fell victim to the robbers?” He said: “The one who acted mercifully toward him.” Jesus then said to him: “Go and do the same yourself.” He didn't just feel sorry for him; he took care of a specific need. So what you said about your neighbor has a lot of value.

Householder: Yes. Although helping in that way takes time and money. Picking up some oranges is much easier.

Publisher: Certainly; it's not the same thing. But we can start with what is within our reach, without promising what we can't do.

Householder: I can see that. Do you usually talk about these things?

Publisher: Yes. We also use videos. I would like to show you one from our teaching toolbox as a starting point for a conversation about the Bible. We won't play it now. Based on what we've discussed, what would interest you to talk about when you see it?

Householder: Whether it has practical application. I wouldn't be interested in watching it just to argue about who is right.

Publisher: I understand. We can focus on what you find useful and what questions it leaves you with. You wouldn't have to agree with me. Would you like to leave it for another day?

Householder: You can come by, but better in the afternoon. Now I really am going to put everything away.

Publisher: All right. I'll let you get on with it. Have a good day.

Following Up

Publisher: Hi, Julian. How are you? Last time you said you had a Bible put away and were going to look for it. Did you find it?

Householder: Yes, it was in a box of books. I opened it one night, but I didn't last long. I understood the words, but not what they meant. And I thought: How am I going to learn anything if I need almost everything explained to me?

Publisher: That's a good question. Looking for it and starting to read already showed interest. What was hardest for you—some expression, or understanding what the passage was talking about?

Householder: The second thing. It was like joining a conversation that had already begun. Besides, you talk about a Bible course. Would it help me understand on my own, or would I have to accept the explanation of the person teaching me?

Publisher: I understand the difference. You don't want someone else to think for you. A course can help you examine what you read and raise your questions. The idea isn't to replace your reading but to help you understand it.

Householder: But if I get stuck that often, perhaps I should first read a simpler book. I don't have much experience studying.

Publisher: Not understanding a passage doesn't mean you can't learn. In fact, the Bible tells about what happened to another reader. Would you like me to read that brief exchange?

Householder: Yes, read it. I'd like to know what he did.

Publisher: Notice how he explained his difficulty and what help he asked for. It's at Acts 8:30, 31.

Publisher: Acts 8:30-31 — Philip ran alongside and heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet, and he said: “Do you actually know what you are reading?” He said: “Really, how could I ever do so unless someone guided me?” So he urged Philip to get on and sit down with him. That man was already reading, but he recognized that he needed someone to teach him. He didn't give up reading because of that; he invited Philip to sit down with him.

Householder: Yes, although asking for help isn't the same as believing just any explanation. That's what worries me.

Publisher: You're right. I'm not suggesting that you accept something just because I say it. If an explanation isn't clear, you can ask why and examine what it is based on. Your question deserves attention, not a quick change of subject.

Householder: That would help me. When I ask something and they answer with five other things I don't understand either, I end up worse off.

Publisher: Then it's best to start with one specific question, not five matters at once. I'd like to show you a video about the Bible course. We can discuss it without playing it now, keeping in mind exactly what you need.

Householder: And how would that video help me? My problem isn't finding more things to watch or read.

Publisher: Of course. I'm showing it to you so that you can learn about that help and decide whether it would be useful. When considering the course, the question for you would be: Will it help me understand the Bible and resolve my questions, rather than just accumulate information?

Householder: Exactly. For example, going back to what I read last night, I would want to know who was speaking and what had happened before.

Publisher: That gives us a starting point. We can look for those answers together in the passage. In that way, you could see practically how receiving help enables you to understand your own reading better. The video would be an introduction; it wouldn't replace addressing your question.

Householder: Well, I still don't want to say that I'm going to take a course. First I'd like to try with that passage.

Publisher: All right. Let's start with what interests you. We don't need to decide now what you'll do afterward. Do you remember where you were reading, or did you leave a marker on the page?

Householder: I left a piece of paper inside. I have to go out now, but I can have it ready for another day. Next Saturday, I'm usually here at this time.

Publisher: Then I'll come by Saturday. We can spend a few minutes on that passage and your question about who is speaking and what happened before. Then you can tell me whether the explanation helped or what you still don't understand.

Householder: There's something else: when someone explains something to me, I think I understand it, but afterward I can't explain it. How could I tell whether I really understood it?

Publisher: We could do a simple test: after reading and discussing it, you express in your own words what you understood. It wouldn't be an exam, but a way to see what point needs more attention.

Householder: For example, try to tell you what the passage is about without repeating exactly what you told me.

Publisher: Exactly. Then we would return to the passage to check it. If something didn't fit, we would review it together. That way you wouldn't depend on remembering my words, but could rely on what you had read.

Householder: That sounds good to me. I'll leave the Bible with the paper inside so I don't lose the page again.

Explaining Your Beliefs

Publisher: Should I keep this box, or are you throwing it out? The cat has been staring at it for a while, and I think he has other plans.

Householder: Leave it there. I bought him a bed, and he hardly uses it. But give him an empty box and he has entertainment for the whole afternoon.

Publisher: It would have been cheaper to keep the packaging. By the way, seeing it reminded me of a video about cat whiskers. I think you would find it interesting because of the robots.

Householder: Robots and whiskers? I certainly didn't expect that. Does it have anything to do with those technology videos you sent me?

Publisher: Yes, they made me think of you. It explains that scientists are designing robots with sensors that work in a way similar to cat whiskers. It's called “Cat Whiskers.”

Householder: That interests me. Although, from the way you describe it, I suspect it's not just a technology video. Is it one of those you use to talk about your beliefs?

Publisher: Yes. It's from the series “Was It Designed?” Look, I have the title and description here; we don't need to play it now. I like it because it starts with something in front of us that we normally don't stop to consider.

Householder: But you know what I think: The fact that an animal has something useful and scientists copy it does not, by itself, prove that God created it.

Publisher: You're right about that. Saying that a feature is being copied does not answer every question about its origin. I wouldn't present it as proof that forces you to think as I do.

Householder: Then why does it have to do with believing in creation for you? I can find it fascinating and still not reach that conclusion.

Publisher: It makes me think that, to develop those sensors, researchers have to study something that already exists in nature. If learning how that works requires intelligence, it seems reasonable to me to ask whether its origin also reflects intelligence.

Householder: I understand the comparison, but a robot is manufactured and a cat is born. They aren't the same. I find it difficult to go from one thing to the other.

Publisher: Of course, they aren't the same. The comparison is limited to the function people are trying to imitate. What catches my attention is that a living creature has a feature from which designers can learn.

Householder: So you're not saying that the cat is a machine. What impresses you is that it serves as a model for solving a technical problem.

Publisher: Exactly. And that influences how I view creation. It's not just that I find the cat cute or lovable; I find reasons to stop and think about how it works.

Householder: And what exactly do those sensors do? It's one thing to say they resemble whiskers and another to explain how.

Publisher: Good question. I don't want to give you a technical explanation from memory and get it wrong. The description points out that similarity, but I'd rather review the video's explanation with you before adding details.

Householder: I prefer that. Sometimes these conversations make me uncomfortable because it seems I have to accept a conclusion immediately, even though I'm still trying to understand the facts.

Publisher: I don't want you to feel that way with me. Some Bible words remind me how I should speak about my beliefs. Let me read them to you; they're at 2 Corinthians 2:17. There's a passage that fits this situation well. Would you like to read 2 Corinthians 2:17?

Publisher: 2 Corinthians 2:17 — We are, for we are not peddlers of the word of God as many men are, but we speak in all sincerity as sent from God, yes, in the sight of God and in company with Christ. What I wanted to emphasize is sincerity. For me, that includes telling you why I believe something, but also acknowledging what I cannot explain. It would make no sense to try to convince you by exaggerating a fact.

Householder: Although those words talk about how to communicate your beliefs, not how animals came to exist. To me, those are two different questions.

Publisher: Yes, and I didn't read it as proof of creation. I relate it to what you just said: I want you to be able to ask questions and disagree without feeling that our conversation is a fight.

Householder: We can talk that way. I still don't share your conclusion, but now I understand better that you don't say it simply because someone told you that you have to believe it.

Publisher: That's what I wanted to explain. I believe in creation, and observing features like this gives me reasons to think about a Creator. But I also want to hear what part of my reasoning doesn't convince you.

Householder: The step between observing a function and attributing it to a designer is still unresolved for me. But first I'd like to understand the whiskers properly, without getting ahead of ourselves.

Publisher: That sounds good. When convenient, we can watch the video and distinguish what it explains about the sensors from the question it raises about their origin. Then you can tell me what you think, with your own reasons.

Householder: There's something else I'd like to clarify before watching it. If someone eventually fully explained how whiskers work, would that weaken your belief? I ask because sometimes it seems that belief depends on some mystery remaining unsolved.

Publisher: I understand what you mean. But I don't base my belief on something remaining a mystery. For example, if the video clarified how that feature of the cat works and how it is applied to a sensor, I wouldn't think that explanation excludes the Creator. Understanding how something works and asking about its origin are different questions. For me, learning more is not a threat.

Householder: So you're not asking me to stop looking for explanations. That helps, because I enjoy understanding how things work and wouldn't want to feel that I have to choose between investigating and talking with you about your beliefs.

Publisher: Of course, we can investigate and talk. When we watch it, let's start with the curiosity we share; we don't need to resolve all our differences at once.

Householder: All right, we'll watch it another time. Now help me pick up the rest, but leave that box. Apparently, the cat has already decided it's his.

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