Apply Yourself to the Field Ministry for the Week of October 19-25, 2026

Starting a Conversation

Publisher: Shall I give you some room to set down the tray? With all those pots, you’re going to need another pair of hands.

Person: Yes, thank you. I came for just one plant, and look what happened. I finally managed to harvest my first tomatoes, and now I’m encouraged.

Publisher: So these purchases are to expand your garden! Do you grow them in the ground or in pots?

Person: In pots, on the terrace. I don’t have much space. They came out small, but yesterday we put them in the salad. My husband says I look at them as if they were a prize.

Publisher: After caring for them, eating something you grew yourself must be satisfying. I’m looking for something simple to start with. What has been the most difficult for you?

Person: Not overwatering them. I almost drowned them. A neighbor saw the leaves and explained what was happening. Thank goodness, because I was thinking of giving them even more water.

Publisher: That’s useful for me to know; I would have done the same. Does your neighbor grow things too?

Person: She has a beautiful terrace. Before, we barely said hello to each other. One day I asked her about her plants, and now we exchange cuttings. Well, for the moment she gives me more than she receives.

Publisher: How interesting: asking her for advice opened the door for you to get to know each other. Sometimes we think we need to have something interesting to say, when we can start by listening and learning.

Person: Yes, although not everyone feels like talking. There’s another neighbor who barely answers. With him I don’t dare go beyond saying hello.

Publisher: Of course, we don’t know whether he’s in a hurry or has some concern. If he doesn’t want to talk, it’s better to leave him alone. What you said about your neighbor reminds me of a detail about Jesus that I really like.

Person: About Jesus? I don’t see what that has to do with my tomatoes.

Publisher: Nothing to do with the tomatoes. I meant that you started by asking for help. There’s a Bible account in which Jesus starts a conversation that way, with an everyday request. May I read you that sentence? It’s very brief.

Person: Well, if it’s brief . . . while we wait for our turn.

Publisher: Yes, I have it here on my phone. Notice what he asked a woman who came to draw water. It’s at John 4:7.

John 4:7 — A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her: “Give me a drink.”

Publisher: It was a simple request related to what she was doing. That detail helps me not to complicate things when I want to start getting to know someone.

Person: I had never thought that the Bible contained such everyday details. Although I prefer conversations to arise naturally, not to carry a prepared phrase.

Publisher: I also find it more comfortable when they arise from what is happening. It’s not a matter of repeating that request. Today, for example, I learned something about watering thanks to your plants.

Person: Then ask here too, because I’m still a beginner. Look, it’s my turn now. Thanks for making room for me.

Person: I’m glad it helps. Sometimes I feel awkward when people ask me questions, because it seems that, just because I have a few plants, I’m supposed to know everything.

Publisher: Of course, a question can make you feel as if you’re being tested, even when that isn’t intended. But you don’t have to know everything to tell others what has worked for you. You even told me what went wrong, and that is useful to me.

Person: Put that way, yes. My neighbor also tells me about the plants that have dried up on her. That takes away much of my fear of making mistakes.

Publisher: It’s nice to be able to learn without feeling that everything has to be done perfectly. I’ll start with one pot and some simple advice, like yours.

Publisher: You’re welcome. I hope your next harvest goes well.

Starting a Conversation

Publisher: Good morning. We are Jehovah’s Witnesses. We’re visiting the neighbors . . .

Person: The doorbell again! First a delivery person who got the wrong address, and now you. I’ve just come home from working the night shift. Can’t a person get any rest in his own home?

Publisher: I’m sorry; we didn’t know you were resting. After working all night, you need to sleep. We don’t want to add another annoyance; we’ll let you rest.

Person: Wait, one thing. Why do you have to come to people’s homes? If someone wants to know about religion, he can find somewhere to ask. These visits seem intrusive to me.

Publisher: I understand that an unexpected visit can be annoying, especially right now. We come to offer a conversation about the Bible, but you decide whether you want to talk. You are under no obligation to listen to us.

Person: That sounds good, but sometimes you say no and they start asking questions: Why not? Are you sure? And you end up having to close the door.

Publisher: You shouldn’t have to give explanations to end a conversation. If I kept insisting after you told me that you needed to rest, I would not be respecting what you just told me.

Person: Well, at least you haven’t started arguing. I thought you would tell me that I was wrong to be angry. I’m tired and, honestly, I have no patience.

Publisher: I didn’t come to judge you. In fact, there is a Bible principle that reminds me how I should treat you. It’s just one sentence. May I read it to you before I leave?

Person: If it’s only one sentence, all right. But I don’t want to start a long conversation.

Publisher: Of course. Notice the counsel at Titus 3:2, which I also need to apply when I knock on a door.

Titus 3:2 — to speak injuriously of no one, not to be quarrelsome, but to be reasonable, displaying all mildness toward all men.

Publisher: That reminds me that it isn’t enough to talk about the Bible; I must also listen to and respect the person. In your case, that means letting you rest, not trying to win an argument.

Person: Exactly. I’m not interested in talking about religion. And now I’m going to disconnect the doorbell so I can sleep.

Publisher: Understood. Sorry for interrupting you. Get some rest.

Starting a Conversation

Publisher: Good morning. We’re visiting the neighbors. Is this a good time to talk for a moment, or would you prefer that we leave it for another day?

Person: Well, I don’t know . . . I’ve just come back from collecting my things from work. They closed the store where I had worked for 15 years. My mind is elsewhere.

Publisher: I’m so sorry. After so many years, it can’t be easy to come home with that news. I wouldn’t want to interrupt you.

Person: You’re not interrupting. The worst part was saying goodbye to my coworkers. My sister says I’m sure to find something better, but right now I don’t feel like hearing that.

Publisher: Of course, finding another job does not erase what you are leaving behind. Although your sister wants to encourage you, perhaps right now you need to talk about what happened, without looking for solutions yet.

Person: Exactly. Everyone sends me job offers. I’ll look at them later, but today I wanted to talk about how the farewell went. It seems that being sad makes people uncomfortable.

Publisher: Sometimes we want to help and we rush to say something. Were you able to talk with your sister about saying goodbye?

Person: A little. Then she started giving me advice. By the way, do you belong to some church?

Publisher: We are Jehovah’s Witnesses. What you are saying reminds me of some words in the Bible that help us think about when it is appropriate to speak and when to listen. May I read them to you?

Person: Yes, if they’re brief. But today I don’t want a long explanation.

Publisher: Of course. Notice that contrast as we read Ecclesiastes 3:7.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 — A time to rip apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak;

Publisher: It reminds me that we do not always need to fill silence with advice. Listening is also a way to be there for someone.

Person: That makes sense to me. Maybe I’ll tell my sister that today I just need her to listen to me. We’ll see about tomorrow.

Publisher: I won’t keep you any longer. If we happen to meet another day and you feel like talking, we can do so calmly.

Publisher: Would it be easy for you to say it that way? Sometimes it’s difficult to ask for what we need.

Person: I’m worried she’ll think I don’t appreciate her help. She spent the morning looking for job offers for me.

Publisher: You could begin by thanking her. That way she’ll know that you appreciate her effort, even though you need something else right now. For example: “Thank you for looking for those offers. Could we talk first about my coworkers? I’m going to miss them.”

Person: Yes, that doesn’t make it seem as if I’m rejecting her help. I think I could say that to her.

Person: All right. I’m going to call my sister now.

Talk

When we speak with someone who loves and respects Jesus, we have a valuable point in common: We want to take his teachings seriously. But an important question may arise: Is Jesus God? To answer it, the safest course is not to rely on personal opinions, but to listen to what Jesus himself explained.

The way we approach this question also matters. We do not want to turn a conversation about the Bible into an argument. Our purpose is to help the person understand a teaching. So we can begin by sincerely acknowledging the respect the other person has for Jesus and his desire to know him better.

Now, what information can help us reach a correct conclusion? We have a direct statement from Jesus about his relationship with the Father. We do not need to begin with a complicated explanation. First let us listen to his words and then think carefully about what they mean.

At John 14:28, Jesus speaks about going to the Father and about how his disciples should feel about that prospect. When explaining why they could rejoice, he provides a fundamental fact about his position in relation to his Father. Let us read the verse and focus on that explanation.

John 14:28 — You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I am.

Jesus presents the Father as being greater than he is. That comparison helps us understand that he is not claiming that the two have the same position. Jesus himself explains the difference. Accepting that difference does not mean disrespecting him; it means taking seriously what he says about himself.

In addition, let us observe the immediate context. Jesus connects his departure with the love his disciples have for him. Thus, recognizing the Father’s superiority is not incompatible with loving Jesus. In the verse itself, those two ideas appear together: love for Jesus and the Father’s superior position.

This enables us to respond calmly to an understandable concern: Does saying that Jesus is not God make him less important? No. Recognizing someone’s position is not the same as despising him. In this case, we are not assigning Jesus a position according to our own judgment; we are accepting the relationship that he himself describes.

Think of a simple distinction. Deeply appreciating someone does not require attributing authority to him that he does not claim to have. Respect is also shown by listening to him carefully. Likewise, our love for Jesus should move us to accept his words, not replace them with what we assume.

When explaining this text, it is best to let the person reason. We might tactfully ask what difference Jesus points out between himself and the Father. Then we should give the person time to think. A simple question may help more than a long series of statements that does not allow the person to express what he understands.

If the person has understood this matter differently for a long time, he may need to continue investigating. We do not have to demand an immediate answer. We can return to the verse, consider its explanation together, and maintain a kind tone. Clear reasoning does not need to be accompanied by pressure.

It is also important not to claim more than we have demonstrated. This passage clearly allows us to highlight the Father’s superiority in relation to Jesus. If other questions arise that we do not know how to answer, honesty requires us to acknowledge that and offer to research them, rather than improvise an explanation that might be inaccurate.

In this way we apply the lesson of using accurate and convincing information: We turn to the Bible, pay attention to the context, and help others to reason. The goal is not to impress with many arguments. It is to present an understandable and reliable reason so that the listener can examine it for himself.

Now, someone might ask: “What if I find another passage that seems to say something different?” That question deserves attention. It would not be wise to dismiss it or answer from memory without examining it. Using the Bible well means also considering that passage in its context. The issue is not choosing between some texts and others, but understanding what each one teaches and how they relate to one another.

For example, we could suggest: “Let’s write down that text and also read what appears before and after it. Who is speaking? Whom is he talking about? What subject is he explaining?” If we need to do more research, we can arrange to discuss the answer together another time. Thus, an apparent difficulty becomes an opportunity to examine the Bible carefully, without losing sight of what Jesus explained.

Therefore, the teaching that Jesus is not God does not arise from a desire to diminish his value. It is based on what he explained about his Father. If we wish to honor Jesus, let us listen to his words, accept the position he acknowledges, and help others understand it with respect and patience.